What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XI)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 31 December 2014
On the cusp of 2015, we start a new thread...
Anyway, links:
Volume X: https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...-be-interested-vol-x
Volume IX: https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...16#22826037054683416
Volume VIII: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...nt/12970396056050819
Volume VII: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...6878604287751/page/1
Volume VI: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878604097229
Volume V: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878605140495
Volume IV: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878605795042
Volume III: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878607309474
Volume II: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878606245043
Volume I: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878607464290
I've been sampling music from 12 Gauge and Ezekiel this evening ...
Larry knows why 
Yes I do.
Last year's Gramophone Award winner - a brilliant recording of Ligeti's masterwork, coupled with a high voltage performance of Bartok's second concerto and 'Seven', a work by Peter Eötvös to commemorate the '86 Challenger disaster, which I find more difficult to grasp.
EJ
Laura Veirs
"Year Of Meteors" (2005) mp3
Probably my most-played album during 2014. First play of 2015 but as I'm far from tired of it I suspect it will get many an outing during the rest of this year. A master-piece of an album in my view 
Sibelius | Khachaturian: Violin Concertos
Sergey Khachatryan (violin), Sinfonia Varsovia, Emmanuel Krivine
I do like the violin too. Especially if your name is Sergey Khachatryan but here you do have to know the difference between your 'turian's and your 'tryan's. As expected, wonderfully played here with the depth and darkness required in the Sibelius.
One of my top 3 Sibelius VC recordings
Kate Walsh
"Light And Dark" (2009) mp3
Now,
previously
Sitting bedsie each other on a shelf for a good few years now, enjoying this dusting down.
SJB
'Emperor' Concerto played like Mozart.
Pretty but lacking balls.
After some hesitation caused by mixed reviews I eventually gave in a bought this. Am playing it for the first time this evening.
EJS, what do you think about this record?
BP.
Well, it's not a bad performance, but there isn't much that sets it apart from the pack. Abbado was very ill at the time, which gave this issue some poignancy. He has the measure of the work and turns in an impressively focused performance. Alagna and Gheorghiu, at the height of their fame, show themselves not to be at home in Verdi (Alagna in shouting mode doesn't help), and the others don't make much of an impact. The live sound doesn't help, either.
...
Sorry for this. Can I recommend one of Abbado's earlier performances, or Giulini? Also, Gardiner recorded a very exciting version for Philips.
EJ
Quite interesting.
There are many good performances of this lovely requiem, but this record is emotionally stirring.
Take Karajan's recording for an example, it's all about conducting admiration and presentation.
While I respect Gardiner's version (a great recording of Phillips, the choir is absolutely fantastic here), there is something missing; Gardiner doesn't seem to have any notion of Italian operatic style.
Abbado, though, takes it to another place, somewhat gentle - "Mass for the dead", with his unique modesty. Gheorghiu is much more suite than Price and many other great singers.
However the other three soloists are not in the same league.
Abbado from 82' might be a better choice for some.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be
BP.
Hi BP, you caught me off guard there, I thought you were innocently looking for what I thought rather than a challenge session. I am an admirer of Gheorghiu, but in this work I think she misses some of the chest power - I may be influenced by the fact that Verdi wrote the work with his Aida principals in mind. Abbado's early 90s recording has Studer and Carreras - no Aida singers (though both did Aida), but a few sizes up in the vocal department. Even Giulini, who in his DG recording went the spiritual route, went for big-ish voices (well, except for the tenor).
On the Gardiner, I think he's the one to choose if you want an earth-shatting dies irae and generally a clean, dramatic performance that bridges the gap between opera and church music. He really approaches the work more as a mass than a work of drama.
EJ
EJ,
I really didn't want a challenge, just trying to collect other opinions.
I appreciate your enormous classical music knowledge so I asked you personally.
Since you mentioned other recordings I'd thought it would be interesting to continue the discussion.
Actually, after listening to Gheorghiu it's hard to listen to someone else.
BP.
Hard to relate nowadays to how new this sounded way back when.
SJB
Rosanne Cash
"The Essential ......" (2011) mp3 disc 2
After some hesitation caused by mixed reviews I eventually gave in a bought this. Am playing it for the first time this evening.
And the verdict? Quite a few echoes (no pun intended) of Division Bell. Not unpleasant but...nothing memorable or anything that made me sit up and listen. Don't think this will getting regular plays when I fancy some Floyd. Guess that means I'm in the "this is boring" camp, too.
After some hesitation caused by mixed reviews I eventually gave in a bought this. Am playing it for the first time this evening.
And the verdict? Quite a few echoes (no pun intended) of Division Bell. Not unpleasant but...nothing memorable or anything that made me sit up and listen. Don't think this will getting regular plays when I fancy some Floyd. Guess that means I'm in the "this is boring" camp, too.
Oh, should have said the booklet-style case with the CD is nice. Well, you've got to try to say something positive, haven't you?
After a day at the sales with SWMBO 
Spoon
"Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" (2007) mp3
Arthor Grumiaux's Bach Violin Sonata.
First listen with a proper instrument. Much more emotionally charged than the plink plonk mandolin of Thile set. The music is simply breathing and living things. There is a hint of melancholic undertow. It has much deeper hues and burnished colours due to harmonic overlaps. Soothing to listen to there is a sense of a story unfolding and unforced momentum like gently streaming down a slow moving river.